We have a lot of ski shells here at GearX.com, and while we love them all very much, we'd be hard-pressed to argue that any of them surpass the Arc'Teryx Sentinel jacket when it comes to quality of design and materials. The Sentinel is constructed from GORE-TEX® Soft Shell fabric, which is really more of a hard shell than a soft shell (who approved this name, anyway?) but nevertheless an excellent material for a ski shell, as it has a distinctly smooth, snow-shedding face fabric on the outside and just a whisper of fleeciness on the inside. It feels very protective when you put it on, as though no wind or precipitation, however violent, could ever find its way through.

Of course, being made of GORE-TEX® Soft Shell is only half the battle. Arc'Teryx jackets have a striking silhouette and distinctive design elements that you can identify from across the room, whether you can see a bird logo or not. The voluminous Storm Hood is one such element featured on Arc'Teryx ski jackets; it easily covers ski helmets on days when it's really dumping outside.

The fit of the Sentinel is quite relaxed to allow for additional layers underneath, so if you put it on alone it will probably feel considerably larger than the size that's listed on the tag. Still, if you do plan on layering underneath (and we don't see why you wouldn't) you should feel safe in ordering your usual size (i.e. if usually medium, order medium) and it should come out all right.

Ever since their founding in Vancouver in 1989, Arc’Teryx has been producing products that demonstrate their philosophy of evolution in action. The company’s mascot, Archaeopteryx Lithographica, was the first reptile to sprout feathers and free itself from the constraints of the horizontal world. Like Archaeopteryx, Arc’Teryx is constantly pursuing new innovations that allow you to do the same.

GearX.com customers often ask why Arc’Teryx items are comparatively expensive. The answer is that unlike other brands which try to hit many different price points for many different customers, Arc’Teryx goes all-out in design and materials on every item they make, whether it’s a mountaineering shell or a cotton t-shirt. This uncompromising commitment to making the best items possible is the true value of the brand.